McKinsey Q&A: Julia

March 24, 2016Julia, a junior at Brown University, was one of last year’s McKinsey Women’s Impact Award winners. She received a stipend and was paired with a McKinsey mentor, which helped her to grow her start-up, Tink Knit: “Within a year, our small project grew into a team of 50 students who helped 30 single mothers in our local Rhode Island community sell more than 500 hand-knit products and earn more than $10k. We could not have achieved this without the support from McKinsey.”

Julia will be joining our Stamford office as a business analyst intern this summer.

Interviewer: Why did you apply for the McKinsey Women’s Impact Award?

Julia: It provided an amazing opportunity for me to engage in a social change project over the summer while receiving guidance and encouragement from McKinsey consultants. Not only did I grow Tink Knit, I also learned a lot about how consultants think and what it’s like to work at McKinsey. It was the perfect way for me to accomplish my project goals and develop professionally.

Interviewer: How did the award help you accomplish your goals?

Julia: The financial support enabled me to work full-time on Tink Knit last summer. I compiled a 70-page report of our pilot program, gathering deep insights into our venture’s strengths and weaknesses in the process. I restructured my team and adjusted our business plans based on suggestions from the McKinsey consultants. Their recommendations helped us to achieve great success the following semester. I learned a lot during this meaningful experience.

Interviewer: How did your mentor help you?

Julia: Kelly, a business analyst in New York, remains a great influencer in my life. Our mentorship started with a simple phone call – Kelly checking in to learn about me, Tink Knit, and my vision for the organization. She shared her ideas for Tink Knit and her experiences at McKinsey. Later during the summer, she came to Brown for a weekend to attend our Tink Knit general body meeting and knitting workshop. She provided concrete feedback on how we could improve our business model and coached me personally on how I ran the session.

Since then, I have visited Kelly in New York several times and always had meaningful conversations. When I decided to apply to McKinsey for a summer internship, Kelly guided me through the application process. I cannot be more thankful for having Kelly in my life.

Interviewer: Any parting thoughts?

Julia: The Women’s Impact Award changed my life. I would love to see this program grow. I am looking forward to meeting this year’s recipients so we can learn from each other’s social change experience.

More about the award:

Freshmen, sophomore, and junior women from Brown, Duke, MIT, Northwestern, UT Austin, and UVA are eligible to apply. Application deadlines vary by school and begin with UT Austin Sunday, April 3.

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